The Pro Yakyu Report Vol. 1.23 - Inter-League Update

*The Pro Yakyu Report Vol. 1.23 - Inter-League Update*
#yakyu #interleague

The current situation in Inter-league play is looking very familiar. The 2010 final standings had the 6 Pacific League teams in the top half, the 6 Central League teams taking up the bottom. How have the two leagues done against each other since Inter-league started in 2005? That's what I explore this week.



====
Pocket Calendar
====

Monday, June 3: The Japan Baseball Weekly Podcast will be available in the usual places. John talks with Yakult's Tony Barnette this week, and the duo will be discussing the Pacific League's dominance of Inter-league play. A popular topic this week? The primary source is always at the Japanese Baseball Daily blog.

====
Resources
====

Nikkan Sports June 2, 2013 edition.

Current and past standings provided by NPB BIS starting from here.

Theories,,,

Hard to grasp on one thing, but some teams like Hiroshima and Yokohama down the years have been that horrible so that probably explains why they have done badly in Interleague seeing as they have done badly in the Central League for a while

The Pacific League being the least popular league, they probably have more to prove compared to some of the Central League teams, namely the Giants, so perhaps players and teams from the Pacific League feel more motivated to do well in Interleague. I mean... if someone in the Pacific League does something special, I am sure Chono sneezing during a game or Hara picking his nose would get more press coverage than the Pacific Leaguer.

I think because of the small number of teams in each league, batters are more able to memorise pitchers and their habits and much of the culture of the game in Japan is to do with repetition, Central League being the old boys may be more inclined to stick with old habits and Pacific League are often more innovative, even in the case of social media Pacific League teams use it much better than their Central league counterparts. Although this year if my eyes are correct, there are less bunting going on (i could be wrong), Pacific League teams tend to vary their game more than Central league teams.

Or maybe the Pacific League are that much better

But we can come up with all kinds of theories, but I think the best thing to do is to take one team from each league and examine why they do well or why they don't do well (but Hiroshima and Yokohama are irrelevant in general)

Mr. Westbay:

Since U have all the data, can U do a show that focuses on the players with highest averages on certain pitches? I.,e.,, Player X is batting .300 on sliders...& so on. Who has most HRs on fastballs...
I think that'd be interesting...

--J.E.G.

Here is a suggested answer to why the PL is dominant. The teams in the PL are better than the CL teams because they have better players and management. Is that too obvious? It is not travel, or being less popular. Its more talent.
Point of consideration, of the last ten JS winners seven were from the PL.

I think both Azza and zman hit the nail on the head. The Pacific League is just better. The point about them being better managed and run strikes me as being the biggest, most obvious truth that nobody talks about, and the Central League teams refuse to accept.

Thanks westbay for the acknowledgement. I think we all fail to see past popularity as making CL teams seem to be better than they are. But facts are stubborn things. And your review of interleague left me with no other conclusion, the PL has better teams.
A parallel would be when the Jets beat the Colts when back when in the SB, the AFL was seen as vastly inferior to the NFL and therefore it was impossible for the Colts to lose. But they did.